


When A Man Rots

by tripping_sideways



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Character Study, Sort Of, The Duel, fancy language, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25710259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tripping_sideways/pseuds/tripping_sideways
Summary: There’s a reason for the duel and it’s not pride.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	When A Man Rots

There's a feeling of being on top of the world and seeing it all crash down. The feeling is not disappointment. It’s not sadness. It’s not anger. It’s not envy. It’s shock. Logically, it was a possibility for it to all come tumbling down. Logically, no one can stay on top of the world forever. But, the idea of falling was so far away, so practically invisible, that when it comes the only thing possible to feel is shock. Then once the event is processed, has had time to settle in the skin, the other emotions flood in; disappointment and sadness and anger and envy. 

If people aren’t careful these feelings can eat them alive.

It starts simple; an ache in the skin. And then it progresses to a hole in the chest, tiny, barely noticeable, but there. And then it grows corrosive as acid; eating away the flesh. The lungs go and then the heart. It becomes impossible to breathe. It becomes impossible to feel anything, but the hunger in the stomach. The hunger for more.

Burr lets his feelings rot him away until he is nothing more than a carcass with hunger. Then he strikes.

He writes an invitation, it’s in the form of a letter, but it’s an invitation. Hamilton has never turned down an invitation. He doesn't start then.

Hamilton believes Burr is cautious. Hamilton doesn't realise the power of a good shock. He should though. It’s how he stayed alive through sickness and a hurricane and war. It’s how he got out of Nevis. It’s how he became the right hand man of the founding general. It’s why he is who he is.

They come to Weehawken. Not because of fate or destiny or chance. They come to Weehawken because their hearts drip acid and their stomachs scream. They come to Weehawken because the only thing more dangerous than a scared man is a hungry one.

As they stand across from each other they make their excuses. It’s for family. It’s for honor. It’s for pride. But, the only true reason they are there is that there’s a type of hunger that can never be satisfied no matter how much you feed it. It will burn and burn and burn even in comfort, because it knows what it is like to lose.

Burr’s hunger started growing long before the gubernatorial and presidential races. Since before there ever was a president. It started with the death of his parents. And then grandparents. It grew with his uncle’s mistreatment. It grew when others surpassed him because of nothing but luck.

He tried to sate it with knowledge, and war, but neither worked. He tried to sate it with work, but it was as effective as a couple sticks holding back a flood. He tried to sate it with family. And he thought he had finally found an antidote for the poison in his veins. But what goes up must always come down. Humans aren’t immortal after all.

Hunger brings them to Weehawken, but it isn’t among what leaves. All that’s left is skin and bones.

**Author's Note:**

> I sat down to begin my pokemon au and then this happened. I have begun writing that au (it will be a series of works). If you have suggestions for certain pokemon/types for certain characters feel free to give them. (Just imagine Burr with an eevee!)


End file.
